USCCB pro-life committee urges Congress to pass the mifepristone ban bill
U.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsCommittee on Pro-Life Activities of the national conference of Catholic bishops, in a letter signed by its chairman, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities wrote to Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger to support the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, said that withdrawing the FDA's approval of mifepristone for abortion would likely save lives, and urged their colleagues to pass the bill.
“In withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone for abortion, prohibiting its being labeled for abortion, and ensuring a private right of action against manufacturers, the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, would likely save lives by curtailing the incidence of chemical abortion itself and all of its associated risks to the mothers as well. We are very grateful for your leadership in addressing this serious moral issue, and we urge your colleagues in both the House and Senate to support and pass this bill.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Should Congress ban the abortion pill, mifepristone, as Josh Hawley has proposed?
On March 11, 2026, Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, which would withdraw the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone for pregnancy termination, make distributing and labeling the drug for that purpose violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and let women who say chemical abortion harmed them sue its manufacturers. Mifepristone has been approved in the United States since 2000 and is used in a large majority of American abortions. Hawley argues a national ban is the only remedy because the drug can be mailed into states whose own laws restrict abortion. The bill drew seven Republican cosponsors but has not moved out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. On September 16, 2026, Hawley unveiled a four-page "Declaration for Life" and began asking officeholders and candidates to sign it as a commitment to ban the drug. The dispute is over whether Congress should enact that ban.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Official letter from the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger, dated April 1, 2026, stating support for S. 4066 and H.R. 7902.
Before the quotation
The letter is addressed to Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Diana Harshbarger and refers to the bill by its Senate and House numbers, S. 4066 and H.R. 7902. It describes the bill as withdrawing the FDA's approval of mifepristone for abortion, making labeling the drug for that purpose unlawful, and giving people injured by the drug a legal remedy against its manufacturers. Earlier in the letter, the committee says the U.S. bishops have opposed mifepristone remaining on the market and have advocated at the very least restoring the drug's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, and that removing the in-person dispensing requirement would seem likely to increase risks to women.
After the quotation
The letter closes by thanking Senator Hawley and Representative Harshbarger for their work and saying the committee stands ready to support their efforts.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The committee states its support for the Safeguarding Women from Chemical Abortion Act, says withdrawing FDA approval of mifepristone would likely save lives, and urges Congress to pass the bill. That is direct support for Hawley's proposal that Congress ban mifepristone by withdrawing its FDA approval, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Josh Hawley, Diana Harshbarger
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The Dispute Index. "USCCB pro-life committee urges Congress to pass the mifepristone ban bill". First published: 2026-09-26. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/2852-the-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-committee